Only hours after Standard & Poor's downgraded the credit worthiness of the U.S. for the first time in history, a former Obama economic adviser summarized the situation in a colorful way.

The U.S. is "pretty darn fu**ed," said Christine Romer, President Obama's first chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers.

Appearing on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher", Ms. Romer was asked about what the downgrade means for the U.S. economy. Romer's profanity followed a clip for a segment on Maher's show called "How Fucked Are We?"

An amused Maher paused to let the audience enjoy what Romer had said. After all, it's not everyday that a professor and former White House staffer swears on live cable.

Romer, a University of California, Berkeley professor, departed the White House a year ago saying the government has the tools to bring down unemployment if policymakers can find the will and wisdom to use them.